Julia Dream
Page 13
“I’ll be fine. I’m just sorry to leave you for three months.”
“I will survive. Perhaps I prefer knowing you are undergoing surgery than going to war. But the three months will be harsh…”
Captain Mayne shrugged.
“This should be less stressful than many other missions.”
“When are you leaving?”
“In two days’ time.”
“Dreas told me he would like to say goodbye to you, shall I call him?”
“Really?”
Julia could not hide a sudden surprise, remembering his evasive eyes and his rush to leave the house soon after her arrival, during their first and last encounter. Dreas was Julia’s age and as a planner his job was to take care of maintenance and development of the Study Center. Captain Mayne’s diagnosis was that due to her position in the Advanced Corps and her strong bond with Cleo, Dreas feared her.
“Yes, he said he doesn’t mind hanging around with the practical side of the family as well.”
Cleo’s tone was neutral, but something in her eyes revealed how hurt she had been by the statement.
Julia darkened.
“Does Dreas believe that studying is too theoretical to be worthy of consideration?”
Hearing the steel in her sister’s voice seemed to shake Cleo, as if she had spoken without thinking too much about what she was saying.
“Oh no, he never said that…!”
“Good.”
Captain Mayne acknowledged the partial sincerity of the answer, lowered her tone of voice and exhibited a predatory smile.
“I’ll be glad to see him. We can meet him wherever you prefer.”
XII
“Very well, I’m about to begin anesthesia. You are not expected to dream, so all this will seem like a moment to you. The surgery is absolutely safe. Just nod if you are ready. See you in three months.”
Lying on the surgery table of the Military Medical Center of Province U, Captain Mayne was staring at the white, brilliant ceiling.
The doctor that was speaking to her, doctor En, had been introduced as the scientific director of the project concerning BioMec units. After a week of tests and exams, the operation had been programmed in detail, and Julia had been informed of the decisions in the same reassuring tone he was now using.
Despite her training and preparation, Captain Mayne had to recognize symptoms of fear were probably leaking out. She thought of Cleo, seeing her blonde curls next to Dreas’ frowning face, and confessed to herself she didn’t like her sister’s fiancée at all.
“When I wake up I will be immediately operational, right?”
“Yes. You will just need a period of training to fully understand your new potential.”
Julia closed her eyes, breathing out.
“Very well. Let’s proceed.”
She rolls in a disturbed slumber, bits and pieces of awareness behind closed eyelids. She speaks with a thin, childish voice.
“The… a… nes… the..sia…”
In the background, a warm, full, calm voice.
“Don’t worry. You are waking up.”
Julia opened her eyes slowly, revealing an enormous and dilated pupil, crowned by her gray iris. She managed to fix her vision for little less than a second, before having to close her eyes again due to heavy eyelids.
Her retina held the image of a white, tall, laminated and shadowy ceiling. No blinding lights, only a pleasant degree of shadows, apt to favor the reconstruction of coherent thoughts. She slightly turned her head on the pillow.
Doctor En’s melodious voice resonated in the room.
“Get up when you feel like it. You will find some clothes on the chair, we will be waiting for you outside.”
More clear-headed by the minute, Julia raised an eyebrow in hearing the plural form, yet despite the strong feeling of heaviness in her eyelids which was forcing her to keep her eyes closed, she was not tired. She actually realized she wanted to get up as soon as possible.
She began to acquire awareness of her body, naked under a light cover that was tickling the nape of her neck. With her fingertips she traced the cloth from the sternum to the collarbone, admiring its suppleness. And while she was rolling around trying to find the strength to get up, her drowsy mind was absorbed by a childhood memory.
10… 9… 8… 7… 6… Her self-imposed and not always respected countdown to get out of bed after the alarm clock, the kind hand of her mother shaking her shoulder…
Captain Mayne suddenly sat upright, completely awake, and no longer inclined to reminisce. Her loose - and now long - hair fell over her shoulders and at the side of her face. She was indeed naked, lying on a mattress placed on top of a wider metallic surgery table.
She pulled her legs out of the sheet, grasping the edge of the bed – and only when her fingers left a conspicuous dent on the shiny surface of the ledge did she remember the aim of the surgery and the potential of her new body.
Gingerly, expecting the worse, she approached the mirror placed next to the chair where some clothes had been piled. She stared at the reflected image for several seconds, surprised. Her skin, already light, was now porcelain due to the absence of the sun – but Julia was observing in a trance the polished glow of her complexion, the full efficiency of the long and springing muscles which were revealed by every single movement.
Any modification to her physiology did not show to any superficial analysis, even though her lunar beauty was somewhat disquieting, especially after donning the completely black uniform of the BMUs.
The golden light of the evening filtered through the wide entrance of the lab. With a last look to the mirror behind her, BioMec unit Mayne headed for the exit and her new life.
En was standing in the hall of the laboratory, leaning on the white counter of the reception and amiably talking with his interlocutor, who was also wearing the uniform of the BioMec Units.
“So you don’t think we will have to check the injectors? Excellent.”
The doctor was nodding, taken in by the conversation. Unseen for the moment, Julia paused to study the profile of the two men.
The doctor was a mature man, probably older than Marcus. His gray and longish hair was obviously well groomed and shiny, catching the sunlight. The face of the other man was hidden, and she could only see raven-black hair.
The stranger noticed her first, turning his head in her direction and meeting her stare. Gray inquisitive eyes met a young and open face that looked strangely familiar.
En followed his interlocutor’s gaze, welcoming Julia and thus interrupting her attempt to explain the familiarity of that face.
“Welcome, F17.”
She tilted her head slightly.
“F17 is your new name. There is no reason to reveal your former identity.”
The doctor paused for a moment, acknowledging and deciding to ignore the fleeting emotions that flashed in her eyes. He indicated the man at his side.
“This is X39. He will help you adapt to the structural changes of your body and will be your partner from now on.”
Still feeling slightly dazed, Julia addressed a shy smile in his direction.
“Nice to meet you, X39. I’m afraid I will need your help. I didn’t mean to, but I made a dent in the bed as I got up.”
The man looked at the doctor, who smiled smugly.
“She is indeed as strong as you predicted.”
He then turned to answer her.
“I apologize. I will do what I can, since our enhancements are not precisely identical. Due to previous training and acquired skills, I was designed for scouting, while you are optimized for combat.”
“I understand.”
Julia had nodded, but concern had become apparent in her expression. X39 smiled at her reassuringly.
“Don’t worry. We have more things in common than differences, and I have been instructed on this.”
En studied them for a moment, arms crossed, noddin
g to himself.
“Very well. I will leave you with X39, then. Enjoy your training.”
Julia was still studying the surroundings with narrowed eyes, trying to remember where she could have already seen X39’s face, his deep dark eyes, the contrast between his pale skin and his black hair. She snapped back to attention when she realized he was talking to her.
“How are you? You got up quite early.”
“I’m fine. Just a little confused. What do I have to learn, exactly?”
He looked at her with utter seriousness.
“Your new limits, most of all. And how to activate specific processes.”
“What kind of processes?”
“How to generate magnetic shields. Voluntary adrenaline injection…”
“I suppose they didn’t just mount a switch on me, then.”
X39 smiled at her sarcastic comment, shaking his head.
“No, nothing quite so brutal. There is nothing mechanical in our new bodies, it is still our will guiding them.”
She gave him a hard look.
“Are you sure? No hidden control chip?”
“I’m reasonably sure. A similar chip would interfere with the other systems. This is why the Empire tests very thoroughly the loyalty of those who enter this specific program.”
As he uttered these words, a dark cloud seemed to fall on his handsome face, forcing him to lower his eyes – Julia decided in that moment she could trust him.
She smiled, speaking lightly to release the tension.
“Very well, I can’t wait to learn. Where do we start?”
X39 was looking at her thoughtfully.
“Let’s start with the shields. I don’t have them so I won’t be able to help you too much. You will have to find the mental activation mechanism on your own, before a subconscious projection method kicks in.”
He paused for a moment.
“It’s good that you feel ready to begin so early. But not here. Follow me, there is dedicated place for this.”
A low and round building, whose interior looked somewhat like a hybrid between a gym and a conference room. The mirrors on the walls could be darkened and made opaque, regulating the lights in the room, while in front of the pedestal with the environmental controls loomed a huge ergonomic armchair, big enough to seat an adult sitting cross-legged.
X39 gestured Julia to sit.
“The meditation armchair is all for you. It should be easier to work on the activation impulse from a relaxed position.”
She complied, uncertain between curiosity and concern – he sat down on the floor in front of her, looking at her frankly in the eyes.
“Know that I can provide the theory, but you will have to do most of the work. It will become very simple once you find the mechanism.”
He paused to reassure her, interpreting her concentrated expression.
“Don’t hesitate to interrupt me if you have any question or if I am not clear.”
“All right, thank you. I’m listening.”
“Ok, so: the nanomachines introduced in our organism interface with our central nervous system. Our brain is totally in control of their activity.”
“All right.”
“Yours can polarize to direct and strengthen your magnetic field, up to creating a shield that can stop projectiles and bullets.”
“Mmh.”
X39 smiled, anticipating the question.
“I don’t have shields because I don’t have sufficient combat training, especially if compared to yours. My education was mainly historical and political. I was mostly enhanced in terms of calculating power.”
Julia nodded, thinking.
“I understand.”
“Now, the only thing you are missing to generate a shield is to know how to give an order to the nanomachines.”
“I really don’t know where to start…”
For once, Julia was completely unable to hide the tone of discomfort in her voice, but X39 didn’t seem to mind.
“Don’t worry. One way, which takes time but is still efficient, is to wait and try to cause a subconscious activation. At that point you can subsequently use the mental image of your first experience as a form of command. There are other ways, though.”
“Suggestions?”
“Personally when I need synthetic adrenalin, I think of a specific emotion. I realize this is easier though, compared to the shields, since it’s an enhancement of a natural phenomenon.”
“What if I started from there, since it is simpler?”
X39 shook his head doubtfully.
“I would advise against it. Before being able to fully control the mechanism you could overdose. The shields are harder but safer.”
Julia nodded, shifting on the armchair.
“I understand. I’ll see what I can do.”
Two days later, Julia was still fighting against an enemy she had never encountered before – sheer frustration. Although fully aware of the limits of her formal education and saddened by the interruption in her studies, she had never felt stupid – yet now she was seriously doubting her judgment.
X39 was seemingly unconcerned by her difficulties in finding the key to activating the shields; rather, he appeared upset by the effect this perceived failure was having on her morale.
Over the last two nights Julia had not slept much, pondering on which new techniques she could try to stimulate the inner workings of her brain. Cleo had suggested concentrating on an idea of protection, X39 on a memory that made her feel safe – to no avail. When consulted, doctor En had stated without further details that induced hypnotic techniques were useless with a personality like F17. In simple terms, she was alone in having to find a solution.
She let herself slide from the meditation armchair to the floor, kneeling. She felt the palm of her hands on her knees and the vibration of footsteps behind her.
“F17, you need a break.”
Since she was tired, she slightly jumped when she heard herself being addressed with the acronym that constituted her new name. She smiled at X39 without joy.
“I won’t have peace until I don’t understand how to control my body.”
“You do control your body. You only have to achieve awareness. You didn’t build your fighter’s reflexes in a day.”
Julia bowed her head slightly, weighing his words. She could feel through her hands the tense muscles of her legs, the straight line of her back, the opening of the shoulder blades and the nervous stiffness of her neck.
She nodded to X39.
“All right, I’ll take a break. Can I exercise?”
He opened his arms to indicate the gym.
“Of course.”
She walks to the center of the room, expressing growing confidence with each step. She starts her form calmly, savors the repercussion and the sound of the wind at every attack, the synergy of the muscles performing complex movements.
She accelerates. The heartbeat quickens but the breathing rhythm does not break, the air itself seems to flow with the sequence of blows; F17 jumps and seems to fly in the air with the energy of the leap, remains for a moment in mid-ground as if floating, lands with a roll, curled up like a ball, flexible as a spring.
And now she follows no form, improvises steps and movements, dodging and hitting and sweeping at invisible adversaries, completely taken in, utterly inebriated by her new body and skills.
Left leg extended in a kick, she pushes her right palm outward – and the air shakes at her commanding look, crumples in the barely visible shape of a convex circle. A shield.
“Excellent!”
Julia stared for a second at her hand and at the shield she had generated, trying to catch her breath, before lowering her arm and turning towards X39. He had leapt up, smiling.
“Excellent! I should have thought about it from the start, that a warrior like you would have found the way in the gesture itself.”
“Nobody had desc
ribed me in these terms before.”
He looked at her in the eyes, with his serious face, and she understood he was sincere. There were in his eyes respect and admiration he didn’t even try to hide.
“It would be insulting to define you as a simple fighter. I can see by your movements that combat is not simply something you do, but a part of what you are.”
Julia felt herself blushing, suddenly confused, suddenly happy, and deeply surprised by herself. She found herself mumbling an answer, looking at her feet.
“I really have no idea of how I raised that shield. Simply, it was consistent with my movements, I tried without thinking too much about it and it worked.”
“That’s perfect. Now you have a specific mental anchor, you will be able to create a shield whenever you want. Try and you will see.”
Julia trembled at this request, but she couldn’t refuse the challenge out of fear of failure. She was trained to never hesitate.
She opened her arms outward, with strength, with a very theatrical movement, and from her open hands the magnetic shields pushed out once again, transparent vibrating ovals which hovered in their position until she closed her fists with a precise gesture, slightly lowering her arms.
A vague surprise and an underground satisfaction flashed in her eyes, while X39 smiled at her, looking truly happy.
“See? You master the mechanism now.”
Julia smiled back.
“Mind if I take a break? I’m hungry.”
“No wonder! You hardly had anything to eat these days, you were concentrating so hard. I want you to be in shape. If it’s fine for you, we can leave in a couple of days.”
“To go where?”
“To do some lessons in the Forest.”
Deep breaths, but rushed. X39 glimpsed at her from the corner of his eye, seeing her pale face through the rare leaves.
“Are you all right?”